


No I Won't Stand a Chance in the Real World

by gillywulf



Category: Avatar: Legend of Korra
Genre: Alternate Universe, F/F, First Kiss, First Time, Friends to Lovers, Post-Canon
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-11-16
Updated: 2015-02-12
Packaged: 2018-02-25 05:17:15
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 23
Words: 21,853
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2609882
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/gillywulf/pseuds/gillywulf
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A madman sends Korra and Asami to another world, ours.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This is entirely self indulgent. Thank you theantisocial-popularkidde and drizzleoftherain for indulging me.

She couldn't move. She was too tired and in too much pain. She was sure Asami was laying feet away, in just as much danger as she was, but the thought if getting up to help was quickly buried by her already straining muscles. He was coming closer, she could feel it. Maybe if she just closed her eyes he would leave them alone. Yes, that was a good idea. Another body was dropped unceremoniously half on top of hers. A pained groan told her that it was Asami.  
  
"This is the end of you, Avatar. Our world will forever be rid of you" Korra was almost sure that the statement was meant to inspire a sense of terror, but she just _couldn't_. He started a chant that was almost musical. It was pretty. The ground started twisting underneath her and she lost all consciousness.  
  
  



	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> And let’s face it love, I’m a wreck without your help  
> Because I won’t stand a chance in the real world, in the real world  
> If you’re not by my side I won’t survive
> 
> -Eisley

Korra was distantly aware that she had not fallen asleep in a bed, but she was too warm and comfortable to care. With a contented hum, she opened her eyes. The wooden ceiling was unfamiliar. It wasn't built at all like any of the air temples she's woken up under, nor her childhood home, nor the compound where she had learned how to be the Avatar.

Confused, she tried to sit up, but a stabbing pain shot up her side and she grunted. Suddenly, the door to the room opened and an old woman entered. Her skin was dark, but not like Korra's and she wore clothes that the Avatar had never seen before. The worried look on her face as she shuffled over to Korra's bed made more sense than the words coming out of her mouth. Korra blinked as wizened hands tried to push her back down.  
  
"What? I don't- I don't understand you" she murmured, beginning to panic. There wasn't a person in her entire world that she couldn't understand. Everyone used the same words. The woman frowned then nodded. She bustled about, checking Korra's various injuries before moving to the bed beside hers. The Avatar's eyes widened.

She hadn't even noticed she was there, no less asleep in the same room. Asami had come to her aid during the fight and likely came out worse than she did. Korra tried to get out of her own bed to check on her friend, but the combination of the old woman and the pain only sent her sprawling uncomfortably on the ground. The old woman flapped her hands and said something in a panicked voice before shuffling back out if the room. Korra didn't move. She decided to let the pain subside a little before attempting it. The sound of blankets ruffling reached her ears.  
  
"Korra? What are you doing down there?" Part of Asami's face loomed over the side of the bed.  
  
"Well I _was_ coming to see how you are but obviously that didn't work out too well" she grunted. Asami took in the room.  
  
"Where are we? None of this looks familiar" she observed. Korra scoffed and nodded.  
  
"You don't even know the half of it" She tried to straighten her back.  
  
"What do you mean?" Asami asked as the door opened.  
  
"You'll see" the Avatar promised as the old woman came into view. When she saw Asami was awake, she started speaking to her, slower than she had with Korra, but just as indecipherably. The engineer tossed her a confused glance.  
  
"I guess this is what you mean?" she confirmed. The woman scowled again and gently pushed Asami's shoulders down, obviously wanting her not to move. Then she bent down and man handled Korra back into her own bed. Once again comfortable, she focused on her breathing to dull the pain. She'd have to use waterbending to heal themselves later.

The woman reached into her pocket and pulled out a tiny rattling bottle. She twisted off the top and dumped a few of it's contents into her cupped hand. Making eye contact with Korra, she gestured to the glass of water on a nearby night table and held out her cupped hand. There were two tiny capsules.  
  
"What is she asking me to do?" She asked Asami. Darshana flashed them to her as well, smiling.  
  
"I think it's a medicine. Cabbage Corp was working on something like it in secret. We only knew about it because one of their top researchers quit to work for us. It was supposed to soothe pain for people who weren't good friends with healer waterbenders. They were having a rough time of it, but I think those are probably safe if she's offering" she explained, unsure. The Avatar thinned her lips and took the proffered objects. The woman pointed to the glass again so Korra picked it up and waited for another instruction.

The woman pointed to the hand with the pills and mimed tossing them into her mouth and then taking a swig of the water. Korra frowned but mirrored the movements. The capsules felt chalky in her mouth and she still felt them in her throat even after she swallowed them down with the water. The woman smiled with satisfaction and took the glass over to Asami and repeated the process. When finished, she sat on the edge of Asami's bed. She placed her hands on her chest and spoke slowly and clearly.  
  
"Darshana. Huṁ Darshana chuṁ. Darshana" She patted her chest a few times as she spoke for emphasis. Korra understood. Her name was Darshana. Just to make sure, she pointed to the woman and repeated her name. She received a smile and a nod. Feeling confident, she pointed to herself and said her own name, then Asami's. Darshana tried their names, rolling the sounds around her mouth. It sounded weird coming from her, but Korra liked it. The words sounded more earthly.

Excited, Darshana got up and pointed to various things in the room and saying their names. Door, blanket, bed, floor, water, book. By they time she finished, Korra couldn't remember most of them. Asami assured her that she did and would help her learn them later. Darshana grinned, and with a small bow, left them alone. Korra flopped backwards and immediately regretted it. She clenched her fists in pain and moaned softly.  
  
"We're gonna have to learn a whole new language" Asami realized. The Avatar stared blankly upwards.  
  
"We need to see a map. I've never heard of this before" She bent the water from the bedside glass and got to work healing herself. She worked slowly and wasn't focused on fixing everything. She just wanted to be able to move over to her friend's bed and heal her. She let out a hiss as a massive bruise disappeared under her glowing hands. Happy enough with the results, she crossed the distance between them relatively pain free.  
  
"Can you move your blankets? Show me where it hurts" Asami flipped the covers away from her body and gingerly lifted her shirt over her head. In any other situation, Korra would have flushed and averted her eyes, stammering all the while. It hadn't escaped her notice how attractive Asami was, it never had. What stopped Korra from blushing was the long gash that ran from just above her belly button up and over the curve of her ribs.  
  
"Why didn't you say anything?" Korra fretted, setting her healing hands against the skin. The engineer's eyes slid closed in relief.  
  
"You couldn't even get out of bed a minute ago, there's no rush" she mumbled.  
  
"'No rush'? This is serious! If you had told me, I would have-"  
  
"You would have what?" Asami snapped, "You would have fallen on the floor again, hurting yourself even further. And if you had started bending in front of Darshana you would have given away the only real strategic advantage we have. She doesn't know us, she doesn't know what we can do" Her voice was stern.  
  
"But it's bending-"  
  
"Korra, she was _speaking a different language_. Do you not understand the gravity of that information?" she stormed. The air stilled as green eyes bore into blue. Asami had never been so angry with Korra before, and the Avatar didn't know how exactly to react.  
  
"No," she said softly, "you're right. We don't know anything about where we are. I'm sorry" Her hands - which had paused during Asami's lecture - resumed their movements, healing the deep tissue of the wound. The engineer felt guilty.  
  
"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have gotten angry" she admitted after a moment. Korra shook her head.  
  
"You have every right to be angry. Whatever's going on probably happened because of me. Don't worry about it, really" She punctuated her reassurance with a smile. The gash had become shallow and non life threatening by the time her hands stopped glowing. She could work on it everyday, but it needed time to heal by itself.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The language Darshana speaks is Gujarātī.
> 
> Huṁ Darshana chuṁ- I am Darshana. 
> 
> Thank you!


	3. Chapter 3

They passed their time together by going over the words that Darshana had taught them. The old woman came up to continually give them medicine and teach them new words with awkward gesturing and pointing. Sometimes she'd bring them dusty old books full of letters they couldn't understand. Sometimes the books would have pictures which certainly helped.

Asami caught on quicker, but Korra was no slouch. In their spare time, the two spoke only in the new words, trying to absorb them faster. Their words were stumbling and they scowled whenever Darshana started giggling at their mistakes. Fluency was no where near possible, no matter how much effort they put in, but it was fine, Darshana could still understand them. After two weeks, Korra haltingly asked for a map. Happily, she obliged. The world map she brought them was discouraging. They spread the paper out between them on the floor and stared.  
  
"I don't recognize a single one of these names" Asami lamented in their native language. The map showed each of the known countries and their capitols, the letters printed in tiny letters. Korra scowled.  
  
"I've never heard of any of these countries, and there are so many!" She tilted the map this way and that, hoping that something would jog her memory. Asami sighed and sat back on her legs.  
  
"I hate to say this, really. Every bone in my body is telling me that this is ridiculous and impossible, but I think we might be in another world. It's crazy, but all of the evidence points to it" she hypothesized. The Avatar furred her brow.  
  
"He did say something about ridding 'this world' of me forever" she remembered. Her eyes continued to roam the map uselessly. Darshana had pointed to the place where they were, just above a pointed peninsula on the largest continent. She was pretty sure the country was called India, but the old woman had been speaking a little fast for her to get everything. Asami stood up and started pacing the room. From her position on the floor, Korra could see how her middle remained stiff as the large gash was almost finished healing. It would scar though, and she didn't know how Asami felt about that.  
  
"Okay, so our options are pretty limited. The first is that we dedicate all of our time and energy into finding away back-"  
  
"Of course we should do that!"  
  
"-but we don't know what he did in the first place, so we could spend the rest of our lives on some wild goose chase. The second would be to decide to live out our lives here and if we find a way back while we do it, great" she finished. Her hands flopped to her sides, resigned. Korra hated the defeated look on her friend's face, but she knew there was only so much she could do about it.  
  
"Well, what's your call Avatar?" Asami asked, turning to face her. Korra frowned.  
  
"My call? This is your life too, you have a say" she protested. Asami just smiled.  
  
"Honestly, I don't matter here. You're the Avatar, you do. And seriously, when _haven't_ I happily put my life in your hands?" Korra stared at her in disbelief. It was true; the engineer had on more than one occasion gone along with whatever half baked plan she'd come up with and not argued at all. Half the time she was even excited. She pushed it out of her mind. There would be a time to think about what it meant, but she had a decision to make first.  
  
"I guess we should just try and live our lives. I mean, I'll try and remember what he said to send us here, but I already had a concussion by that point. And besides, there's probably loads of things to learn here" she said optimistically. Asami smiled at her.  
  
"That's true, their society could be vastly different from ours," her tone became more serious, "but I need you to promise me something"  
  
"Anything"  
  
"You can't bend in front of people without a _really_ good reason, okay? I know it'll be hard, but if no one here can bend and they see you," she shook her head, "it won't be good. So wait until you see someone else bending before you do" Korra nodded in agreement. Asami was a better strategist and she knew it.  
  
"So now what?" she asked. Deciding not to do something was only a small aspect of a bigger plan.  
  
"We have to go outside. We have to see where we are and maybe start moving. Learning about the world kind of requires seeing it" Asami suggested, her face showing her unease.  
  
"What are you scared of?" Korra asked, standing shakily.  
  
"I don't know. It's just that if we really _are_ in another world, we don't really know what to expect, do we? Cannibalism could be a common practice for all we know. And what kind of world doesn't have bending?" Asami brought her hand up to her face and bit at the ends of her nails.  
  
"Hey, it'll be fine. As long as we're together, nothing will hurt us" the Avatar assured, her hand on her friend's shoulder. The resulting smile seemed as if Asami wanted very much to believe her, but just couldn't.


	4. Chapter 4

They told Darshana about their plans to leave that night when she brought them dinner. She spent the next few days finding them new clothes and bags to carry their belongings in. They offered their help at every turn but the old woman rebuffed them and insisted on doing the tasks alone. She had legs and dignity, she'd use them. The end of the week came and they were finally ready to leave. Darshana gave them a generous amount of food, money, and a hug each and they left, ready to finally experience the world they'd been arbitrarily dropped into.

Armed with only a map, they started to wander through the farming villages. What they noticed immediately was the lack of bending. No one ever made an allusion to it, and they definitely didn't perform any. There was none anywhere they went.

They spent days camping from inside an improvised tent made from earthbending. For food, Asami would catch rodents or fish with traps and Korra would cook them as they met people and saw sights. Gujarat - as they learned was the name of the state - was an interesting place. It was familiar in some ways, like the large Dwarkadhish temple which reminded them both of temples the air nomads called home. Before entering, they both stood outside and just stared.  
  
"I miss home" Korra murmured, heartbroken. Asami rested her head on her friend's temple and gently rubbed her back.  
  
"Me too" They spent the day exploring the temple and learning about it. They would occasionally have to pause and follow a tradition or two, but neither minded too much as it showed them new things. Asami watched in fascination as other visitors pulled tiny rectangles from their pockets and pointed them at various sights within the temple.

Only when the person in front of her did it, did she realize that it was a camera. She was in shock of its size, portability, and clarity, as well as it's ability to replicate colors as well. She itched to get her hands on one. What Korra paid attention to was vastly different. While she was no where near perfect in Darshana's language, she could easily tell that the vast majority of things she was hearing weren't what she had spent the last two weeks painstakingly learning. It was incredible.

The two would have been completely overwhelmed if not for the vague familiarity of the temple around them. However even _that_ wasn't even the same. The large architecture centered around a religion that they knew next to nothing about, which was about as jarring as everything else around them. By the time they left the temple, they sky was beginning to darken.  
  
"I don't know if we have the money for this, but I'd really like to sleep in a real bed tonight, not that I don't appreciate your earthbending" Asami insisted as they exited. Korra thought of their small amount of money and frowned. She didn't know how much a room would cost at a hotel, but she was almost positive that it wouldn't be enough. Her eyes scanned the crowds that gathered around street performers and hatched an idea.  
  
"You're not going to like this, I'm sorry" she apologized in advance.  
  
"Korra, what-" The Avatar was already racing over to a small fountain where a few people lingered.  
  
"Hey! You're going to want to see this!" she called out. A few people nearby turned to look, curious. She showed them her empty and naked hands before birthing a handful of fire. The small crowd gasped and a few more passerbys turned to watch. She made eye contact with Asami over the heads of the people. Rather than the anger she was expecting, there was only exasperation on her friend's face. Korra sent her a silent apology and began playing with the ball of fire.

The crowd's excited noises drew more people to watch. She splashed her tiny ball with a stream of water from the fountain she stood on and the sounds she earned were almost worth the chewing out she would get later. She whipped the stream around, weaving it in and out of the crowds. People gasped and shrieked as it came near them. The water moved upward and abruptly exploded into slow falling snowflakes. The crowd stared in wonder and reached out to touch the falling snow.

Korra saw a young child giggle with delight as one landed on her nose. With a laugh of her own, she jumped off the fountain and rolled back up, covered in rocks like armor. The sound of shocked gasps told her the image was probably a little threatening, so she bent the rocks from her head to show her grinning face and made the rocks dance in mid air.

She let out a sigh as the 'oos' and 'aahs' no longer reflected fear. The rocks tumbled to the ground around her and she hopped up onto an air scooter. She held her arms out, signaling the end of her show. The now massive crowd clapped excitedly. Staying on the air scooter, Korra bowed her head and cupped her hands in front of her.

She had to hide a grin as she felt coins and paper deposit into her hands. She had to stuff a handful in her pocket more than once in order to prevent overflow. Eventually, people stopped coming up to give her money so she stopped the airbending and jogged over to where Asami stood. She ducked her head sheepishly.  
  
"I know you said that I shouldn't bend in front of people but we needed more money if we wanted to stay somewhere, so I'm not sorry for doing it" she babbled. She finally lifted her eyes to see her friend's expression which was an odd mix of resignation and pride.  
  
"I won't say I really expected you not bend in front of people but you do _not_ do half measures, do you?" she sighed, "no, you're right. We need more money. If this is the only way of getting it, I guess it's okay" she admitted and ran her hand through her hair. Korra grinned and attacked her with a hug.  
  
"Asami, you are awesome! I thought you were going to kill me!" she laughed. The engineer rolled her eyes.  
  
"Sometimes I think I should. Let's count up this money" The pair found a nearby inn and booked a room. Unfortunately, the only one available had only one bed, which they didn't know until they opened the door. After a brief awkward silence, Korra spoke.  
  
"I'll sleep on the floor, you take the bed" she offered, dropping her bag on the floor.  
  
"No, you got the money to get us in here, besides we could _both_ do with a good sleep. We can share it, it's pretty big" Asami interjected. Korra was hesitant. She wasn't sure that she could completely control herself if they spent the night together. It would be too tempting to roll over and cuddle. But Asami was stubborn and probably wouldn't let her do otherwise so she gave up with a sigh.  
  
"If you say so"  
  
"I do say so," she said with a smirk, "but I need a shower right now. And before you say you don't, you _do_ , so you're going to get in when I'm done" she ordered preemptively. Korra huffed and sat heavily on the bed to wait for the shower. As the door closed behind Asami she pulled out the map. Continuing to go east, then south offered few advantages. Eventually they'd hit the coast and have to choose a new direction.

Korra was of the opinion that they start going north, towards China but she had yet to say so to Asami. The suggestion was likely going to be met with resistance as the distinct absence of passports, or papers of any kind would make it hard for them to cross any border. Korra scowled as she inspected the map. The door to the bathroom opened and Korra looked up, surprised; she hadn't heard the water stop. Asami was standing in the doorway clad only in a towel. The Avatar forced herself to look back down at the map and ignore the fact that Asami was very wet, and so very naked.  
  
"What are you thinking about?" the engineer asked as she towel dried her hair.  
  
"I was just thinking about our direction. I know that after we get off the peninsula we wanted to go south, but what if we went north, towards China?" she proposed, still not looking up.  
  
"I'd be all for it if we had paperwork. But maybe," Asami sat on the bed beside Korra and tapped her chin, "we could see if someone does speak our language and then lie and say we lost the paperwork we had" she outlined. She chewed her lip as she thought through the barriers to the plan.  
  
"No this could work. But the whole thing hinges on the fact that someone understands us. So it might not work" Korra nodded, absorbing the suggestion.  
  
"Well, let's give it a go and if it doesn't work, we haven't lost anything. Are you done in there?" she asked with a gesture towards the bathroom. Asami nodded and leaned over to pull her bag closer. Korra stood under the warm spray for far longer than she knew she should have, but the prospect of going out and sharing a bed with Asami was far too daunting. She had to remind herself that she was the Avatar, facing her fears was a daily occurrence before she got out.

Asami was already tucked into bed, one hand gripping a pencil, the other a sketchbook. The engineer had always been artistic - her job required it - but finding leisure time to draw whatever she wanted was hard to come by. Now that they had no real schedule, she sketched all the time. Korra slid into the bed next to her and peeked over her shoulder. She was surprised to see a picture of herself bending water at the fountain.  
  
"Wow, that's really good, Asami. How do you do that?" she asked, leaning closer. If Korra had looked at the artist, she would have seen her blush violently, but she didn't.  
  
"I don't really know. I just copy what I see in my head" she said as she shaded part of Korra's arm. The Avatar leaned against her and continued watching her draw until the piece was finished. Asami found the proximity comforting and she explained her process as she worked. Korra hummed and occasionally asked questions. The calming atmosphere made it easier for them both to fall into a heavy sleep.


	5. Chapter 5

When Asami awoke, she was warmer and more comfortable than she'd been in a long time. There was a heavy weight on her left side that was radiating heat. She burrowed deeper into it and sighed, content. Finally, she decided that she should probably open her eyes to the bright morning light. She had squint at first, but her eyes quickly readjusted.

The warm weight was revealed to be Korra, fast asleep and curled around her. One arm was flopped over Asami's waist and pressed upwards against the length of her ribs. The engineer smiled and gently stroked Korra's hair. Since the Avatar's head was laid against her shoulder, it was no real hardship to do.

Asami had known about her feelings since before the other woman's three year healing period. Moments such as these made the hiding not feel so bad. She could pretend that waking up wrapped in Korra was a normal occurrence, that when those blue eyes opened, they would light up in happiness and close again just to kiss her. But it wasn't, so she lay there and absorbed the feeling for as long as she could. Eventually, she carefully extracted herself from the Avatar's grip and fled to the bathroom for a shower. Might as well take advantage of the luxury while she could. When she came back into the main room, Korra was blinking blearily, sleepily looking around the room. Asami smiled fondly.  
  
"Morning, sleepy head" she greeted. The Avatar grunted back and yawned. They got dressed and had breakfast before they left the inn. They didn't have to go very far in order to find a high traffic tourist area. Pretending to act panicked, they started asking random people if they could understand them in their native language. Almost immediately, a tall man grinned at them.  
  
"Yeah! You're speaking English, of course I understand you! You're Americans, right?" he asked. Korra nodded enthusiastically and thought back to the the map, trying to remember which one was America. That was the funny looking one on the other side of the world. Thankfully, Asami was quicker.  
  
"Yeah, we're from Washington DC, you?" she asked quickly.  
  
"I'm from Texas myself. What're two pretty girls like you doing out here?" he flirted, his eyes roaming their bodies. Korra wanted to scowl and kick him in the head, but they needed him, so she reigned in her disgust. Maybe when they were done with him she could kick him.  
  
"We wanted to see the world, you know? We wanted to get cultured" The Avatar was shocked by Asami's voice. Suddenly she was empty headed and trusting. The man nodded, clearly interested.  
  
"Where did you guys come from anyway?" he asked, taking a step closer. Korra had to root herself to the ground to avoid moving away in disgust.  
  
"We just spent about a week at Gujarat. It was _so_ neat" Asami gushed in her sticky sweet voice.  
  
"Oh yeah, I can see why you were so nervous about finding someone to speak English, it's the real boonies out there. Almost everyone speaks it here" he informed, his arms stretched outward to gesture towards the surrounding area.  
  
"But we have a _major_ problem" The engineer urged. The man leaned forward, concerned.  
  
"We've lost _all_ our paperwork and now we can't get home!" she cried.  
  
"Oh man," he looked very upset for them, more than most people would be, "do you know how to get to the embassy? _No_? Alright well it's in New Delhi, so you'll have a bit of time to get there" he assured. He started explaining about trains and buses they could take, so Korra tuned out. Asami actively liked that stuff, so she would remember it better. When he finished speaking, he turned on the charm again, smiling seductively at Asami.  
  
"So, do you need a _strong_ man to escort you guys there? It can be pretty dangerous" Korra scoffed loudly, earning a smile from her friend.  
  
"Believe me when I say we can defend ourselves, goodbye forever" she asserted. She shot him a false smile and took Asami by the hand to drag her away. Once they were far enough away, they burst out laughing.  
  
"'Big strong man', who was he kidding? He couldn't beat Rohan in a fight!" Korra gasped.  
  
"If only he knew who we are," Asami laughed, "the Avatar and the CEO of Future Industries, you'd have him out with one hit" They laughed together for a few more blocks before remembering that their hands were still interlocked. Korra coughed awkwardly and used the previously occupied hand to cover her mouth. Asami's cheeks were tinted pink, but the Avatar's embarrassment couldn't remove the happy smile from her face.  
  
"Hey, where did you tell him we were from?" Korra asked suddenly.  
  
"Oh, I just saw it was the capitol on the map" The Avatar shook her head and laughed  
  
"You really are brilliant" She let out a breath and grinned.  
  
"Alright, let's get to New Delhi"


	6. Chapter 6

The next weeks were full of sleeping rough, bending demonstrations, and short train rides due to lack of money. Once they arrived in the sprawling city, they were in awe. The colors, sights, and smells were like nothing they'd ever seen before. The crowds were also far more dense and to avoid being separated, Asami grasped Korra's hand. Whether or not it was for selfish motivations didn't really matter. She noticed the Avatar slowly become more and more overwhelmed by the sheer volume of people and dragged her into the first public building she could.

They paused in the threshold as the doors closed behind them. The building was large and it's walls ornate with bright vibrant colors. The back wall was open and led outside into a small green wilderness. The group of people were smaller in numbers than outside, so the pair ducked into the fray, careful not to stand out. While Korra calmed down, they watched the proceedings.

It took Asami an inordinate amount of time to realize it was a wedding. Both of the couple's families were present and joyous. There was clapping and singing and the atmosphere was already lifting Korra's spirits. The Avatar nudged her in the side and started clapping along with everyone. Amused by her friend, Asami followed suit and decided to inspect the couple.

Her hands missed a beat when she realized it was two women. Was that common here? It wasn't illegal back home, but it was highly frowned upon. She'd seen competent businessmen ruined because of it, that was the only reason she'd even gave Mako a chance. But this changed everything. A glance at Korra told her that she hadn't even noticed, or if she did, she certainly didn't care. She just continued clapping along happily. Asami smiled to herself and copied. If the information became relevant later, Korra would know, but until then, all she needed to do was keep clapping.   
  
The embassy was bigger and more grand than either of the girls had really expected. The rest of the country was crowded and vaguely dirty and the embassy was the picture of cleanliness. Korra already didn't like it.  
  
"Okay, you remember the plan?" Asami asked seriously. The Avatar nodded in affirmative and the two marched into the building. The second they were through the doors, the act began. Asami cried out in the hysterics of an empty headed girl who just wanted to see the world but was too stupid to do it right. Korra pretended to be her equally empty headed adopted sister - she needed a last name and Asami's was readily available but no one in their right mind would believe them to be related - who was attempting to comfort her. After countless fruitless questions and hours later, the pair had temporary American passports.  
  
"I genuinely cannot believe that worked" Asami gaped as she inspected the document.  
  
"You were absolutely amazing" Korra muttered, doing the same. The engineer flushed at the praise but managed a real grin.  
  
"Couldn't have done it without you, Korra Sato" The Avatar laughed, pretending that the addition of the last name didn't really effect her.  
  
"So these only last two weeks, right? We're going to need a lot of money by then if we're going to be able to buy plane tickets" Asami noted.  
  
"Should I start whipping out the bending?" Korra cracked her knuckles. The engineer smiled.  
  
"Sure, but let's wait until tomorrow" The money was slow to come and the pair was outside in public places every day. The sixth early day was going particularly slow when Korra finished the day's first location and demonstration. Sitting on her airscooter, she held her cupped hands out for money and had to stuff handfuls in her pockets. What they had learned was that the large stacks of money didn't actually translate to all that much.

India's economy was weaker than many other parts of the world. When she stopped feeling the hands of strangers, Korra sighed and stopped the scooter to stand on solid ground again. She pulled her money pouch from her pocked and started arranging the money inside.  
  
"Excuse me, mahōdayā, may I speak to you?" a sudden voice asked in broken speech. Korra whirled around and found that it belonged to a meek looking bald man in scarlet and gold robes. Another man dressed in the same way stood beside him. She frowned, but nodded and hoped that Asami wasn't too far.  
  
"We are curious as to how to perform your tricks. Could you please show us?" he asked, his palms pressed together at his forehead.  
  
"I guess so" she replied and pulled a string of water from a nearby pond. The two man watched in fascination as she sent it around them and through their legs. She could have sworn she even heard one giggle when she did.  
  
"It's not really a trick so you probably couldn't do it, no matter how hard you tried, but it feels like an extension of yourself that has a life of its own" she explained slowly in the still unfamiliar language. She cycled through each element, and though quicker than her normal demonstrations, it still took a while. It wasn't until she got to air that she noticed Asami standing just beside her discarded bag. When she finished, then men bowed twice each.  
  
"We must ask you to come with us. His Holiness the Dalai Lama wishes to meet you" the second man grinned with another bow. Korra had never heard the name (title?) before so she shot a glance at Asami who shrugged, obviously just as clueless as she. Deciding there wasn't much to lose, she shrugged.  
  
"Yeah why not?" Asami came closer and handed her the bag she'd put down. The moment the engineer made to walk with them, the two men shook their heads at her and held their arms out to stop her walking.  
  
"I must apologize but you cannot come, his Holiness-"  
  
"I don't go if she doesn't go, I don't care who this guy is" Korra growled.  
  
"His time and audience is-" the first man tried to appeal. The Avatar crossed her arms defiantly over her chest.  
  
"We're together, both or none" she said with finality. The two men pursed their lips but agreed. Asami would be the first to deny the warm feeling that her friend's defense gave her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> mahōdayā - madam in Hindi


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please remember how much of a nerd I am and how self indulgent this fic is.

The drive was eight hours long on rickety roads and full of explanations about the man they were going to meet. Korra absorbed the information greedily. He – and his past lives – sounded fascinating. She was delighted to learn that his name was Tenzin Gyatso. Aang would have gotten a kick out of that, his two favorite airbenders in one.The car's engine gave off a high pitched noise that Asami tried to tell the driver she could fix. He waved her off and told her it was fine, the car always made that noise. The engineer flopped back into her seat with a huff.  
  
"It's not _supposed_ to make that noise. Just because it always has doesn't mean it should _stay_ that way!" she grumbled. Korra chuckled and gave her knee a pat.  
  
"Not everyone can be as brilliant as you. We're almost there anyway, plug your ears if you have to"  
  
"That's too high pitched to block out!" The car rumbled to a stop twenty minutes later and Asami sighed with relief at the stilled engine. The building they were parked in front of was magnificent. Stairs branched outwards like massive spider legs cutting through the greenery. The blue sky above looked closer to the roof than anything either had ever seen and Korra had to fight the sudden urge to reach out and grasp it. A number of more bald men in scarlet and gold robes directed them up the many stairs.  
  
"They kind if remind me of airbenders" Asami whispered as they walked. The Avatar glanced at the men and privately agreed. Their clothing colors and manners were much the same. She resisted a giggle at the thought of Tenzin in their robes. At the top of the steps they were given white scarves and told to leave their belongings in a secure room.

The room that the Dalai Lama waited in was plain and large. He sat in an old wooden chair with a calm smile. The two girls bowed low and held out their scarves. Once the introductions were out of the way, Asami was given a chair slightly out of the way and Korra remained standing in front of him.  
  
"I have been hearing about you for weeks!" he said in English. The Avatar tried not to looked surprised. It was the first time she'd been spoken to in her own language since the embassy and it was no less jarring to be told that news of her had spread to someone like this.  
  
"I have been told that you control the elements of fire, earth, water, and air. Is this true?" he asked. Korra took a moment to really look at the old man. Old was certainly a good word for him. He looked to be Master Katara's age and just as spritely. Everything about him seemed relaxed and understanding, it was nice.

Instead of answering, she let fire engulf her hand. There was a collective gasp from everyone in the room, besides Asami and the two men who had escorted them. Despite how many times she'd heard it, the gasps were always deeply satisfying. She looked to Asami and smiled when she saw pride on her face. She caught the flame in her fist and let it die out. The knowledge that the Dalai Lama was believed to be reincarnated popped into the front of her mind. It would be a long-shot, but if anyone was going to understand, it would be him.  
  
"This is going to sound crazy, your Holiness, but I have a confession to make. The two of us are not actually from this world" she announced. Instead of the skeptical looks she was expecting, he merely raised his eyebrows and leaned forward in his chair. Encouraged, she continued.  
  
"Where we come from, many people can bend one of the elements. I am the only person able to bend all four. I'm the Avatar, and we have something in common, we've both been reincarnated. My spirit has lived for more than ten thousand years, through countless bodies and disasters. But a man, a firebender named Daichi sent us here and we don't know how to get home" she went on. The old man's eyebrows were slanted downwards as he listened intently to her speak.  
  
"Do you wish to return?" he asked. Korra frowned. Under any other circumstance she would have said yes with no hesitation, but she liked traveling with Asami and their decision to learn how to live in this world was still fresh in her mind. She gave him a shrug and a soft smile.


	8. Chapter 8

The monks had sent them away with a little good luck money and their support. The holy man promised to let them know of any information that might aid in sending them home, just in case they still wanted to. With enough money for plane tickets, the two women spent time exploring the area.

They were perusing a market when Korra caught sight of an intricately woven string bracelet. The colors reminded her of Asami's company and the designs reminded her of Water Tribe symbols. The seller gave her a really low price so she threw caution to the wind and bought it. She rushed over to Asami who was browsing another stall.  
  
"Close your eyes, I have a surprise" she directed. Asami sighed but did as she was told.  
  
"Hold out your arm" Asami frowned.  
  
"Why?" she asked suspiciously.  
  
"It's a surprise, just do it please" The engineer sighed again as if the request was outrageous but obeyed. Korra slipped the bracelet over her hand and tied it to her wrist. Asami opened her eyes and inspected it with a bright smile.  
  
"I saw it and I thought you'd like it" the Avatar admitted, blushing a bit.  
  
"This is beautiful, I love it. Thank you" She engulfed her shorter friend into a crushing hug. As they continued walking around, Korra noticed Asami occasionally reach to her wrist and brush the woven strings. She tried not to think it meant something, but she couldn't really stop herself. She wanted it to mean something.

Their temporary passports wouldn't get them in to China so they took the only other option besides staying in India and caught a plane to the America. It was comforting to hear so many other people talking and being able to understand without having to consciously translate it. The plane landed safely and the pair skipped the baggage claim and left the massive building. Standing on the pavement outside, they were unsure of what to do next.  
  
"We could just walk everywhere like we did in India" Korra suggested and hoisted her bag higher on her shoulder. Asami shook her head.  
  
"Did you see the differences in the airports alone? I don't think it'll be as easy to do that. We need to do some research. We need a library," she decided, "we need a university. They'll have the best information" Korra raised her eyebrow.  
  
"I've never really been to one. Are they that good?" Asami nodded and put her arm out for a cab.  
  
"Yes, I studied at Republic University for a year, but it was too easy and I still had to run Future Industries, so I left, but I remember the library being remarkable" A car slowed to a stop in front of them. Asami pulled the door open and the two of them piled into the backseat.  
  
"Where am I taking you?" the driver asked over his shoulder.  
  
"The nearest university please" Korra said as she clipped herself in to the car. The drive was short and mostly a straight line. Asami paid and the cab drove away. They paused in order to get their bearings and took off in a random direction in the hope that they would eventually find where they needed to be. Ten minutes later, they walked up the steps to the large building marked 'Library' in equally large letters.  
  
"So what exactly are we looking for?" Korra asked as she held the door open for her friend.  
  
"We need need to blend in, right? So we need history. We need to know major and current events, we need to know their technology which is so much more advanced than ours. If we can't work something simple, we'll stand out," they'd reached a secluded shelf filled with books about recent history and she pulled one out and placed it in the Avatar's hands, "so we best get reading" Korra groaned but lugged the book to a nearby table and opened it.

They spent the day reading together, but sleep claimed Korra mid afternoon. She had been tired from the plane, Asami knew. So instead of shaking her with a light scolding, she pulled a ratty blanket from one of their bags as draped it over her. With a sigh, she leaned back in her own chair an observed the students moving around her.

Some chose a book and sat down, others walked along the shelves looking, and then scowled and walked away when they couldn't find what they were looking for. She met the brown eyes of a girl through a gap in the books. They stared for a while before the girl smirked and turned away. Asami frowned. What just happened? What _was_ that? She blinked just as Korra snuffled awake next to her.  
  
"Oh man, how long have I been out?" she asked with a stretch.  
  
"Only a few minutes, I figured you could use the rest. It's been a long day" She glanced at a nearby clock on the wall. "What do you think of getting out of here and finding someplace to stay?" Korra hummed in agreement and stuffed the blanket from her shoulders back into the bag it had some from.

They found an absurdly cheap motel nearby and paid for the room. Like numerous times before, there was a singular large bed situated in the center of the room. If Korra didn't know otherwise, she might have suspected Asami of doing it on purpose. They collapsed together fully clothed on their usual sides of the bed.  
  
"I should find a job" Korra stated as she stared upwards.  
  
"Why you? I'm a mechanic, I could do it" Asami argued.  
  
"Because you know what we're looking for better than I do. And if we're staying in one place I can't really do bending demonstrations. I'll start getting regulars who ask questions and we can't have that" the Avatar joked. Asami touched her arm lightly.  
  
"You don't have to" Korra shrugged.  
  
"We kinda do. Our money won't last us much longer at all so we might as well. Oh, don't look at me like that"  
  
"Like what?"  
  
"Like I'm some sort of martyr about to die for my cause. It's work, not a death sentence"  
  
"But now I'm gonna be lonely at the library" the engineer whined, giving Korra's shoulder a playful shove. The Avatar laughed.  
  
"Well I'm sure you'll find _something_ in that place to keep you occupied" With a smile she turned her head to face the other woman only to find herself already being watched. The air between them suddenly felt charged. Korra couldn't stop her eyes from trailing down and noticing how kissable Asami's lips were.

Her friend had managed to find her usual shade of red lipstick and usually she wore it like a battle armor. But now, in the small space, it felt more like an invitation. She watched as they slowly parted and she forced herself to look back up to green eyes. Asami's gaze flickered back and forth between Korra's mouth and eyes and the Avatar wondered genuinely for the first time if they could really happen. She wanted it. But it wasn't the time. Maybe when they weren't each others only lifeline. She pursed her lips and cleared her throat softly, sitting up.  
  
"I'm gonna, ah, take a shower" She bolted into the bathroom and slammed the door shut behind her. She braced herself against the wall and let out a breath she didn't realize she was holding. Shower. That was easy. That she could do.


	9. Chapter 9

The job that Korra found was a lot of heavy lifting, but for her it was easy as the men she worked with kept in good spirits. Her days were largely spent loading and unloading shipments for a local grocery store. Other times she would fill out forms regarding the shipments and their schedules. She listened to the men around her talk about everything from politics, to pop culture and she absorbed it all.

After she finished, she would go join Asami at the university library. The engineer had spent her days at a table, reading over dull history books and occasional exciting (to her) engineering or mathematics book. She made sure to sit within watching distance of the screens people sat at. The technology books she'd looked over called them computers. She wanted to get her hands on one to test it's limits and see what it could do. Hungrily, she watched a student scroll down a page on the screen. She wished for binoculars to see the tiny words flitting across before his eyes.  
  
"Ya know, you're here pretty often. Do you have that many papers to do?" Asami whirled to her right, startled to find a girl sitting in the seat next to her. She recognized the brown eyes that had stared at through the bookshelves. Nervously, she closed her book and tucked a stray lock of hair behind her ear.  
  
"Ah, yeah. I've got a bunch of papers due pretty soon" she lied. The brown eyed girl smirked at her. Asami forced herself not to think about how pretty she was. No one at home had yellow hair and this girl's was fascinating to her.  
  
"You must be swamped. What's your major?" she inquired, crossing her arms.  
  
"Engineering" Asami blurted. The girl nodded slowly as she took in the new information. She stuck out a slim hand for Asami to shake.  
  
"I'm Cara. I'm an accounting major with a concentration in risk management" Her dark eyes were sharp and mesmerizing.  
  
"I'm Asami" She took the proffered hand and give it a firm shake as she was used to doing with other businessmen.  
  
"It's very nice to meet you, Asami. I just wanted to come over and ask you if you wanted any help on your engineering papers" Cara explained. Asami had spent too long with the likes of Bumi, Meelo, and Korra to not see the mischievous glint in her eyes.  
  
"No thank you. I can handle it" Cara shrugged and moved to stand up.  
  
"Alright well, just thought I'd ask. See you around, miss engineer" she crooned with a wink. Asami stared after her, her face red. Every interaction with Cara had so far left her invariably confused. Was she being hit on? Was that common? She remembered the wedding in New Delhi and frowned even further.  
  
"Asami, hey!" Korra's voice drew her back to New York and the present and bright blue eyes. She blinked and smiled at her friend.  
  
"Hey, how was your day?" she asked, setting her closed book on a cart. The Avatar shrugged.  
  
"It was fine. It's just that..."  
  
"What is it?" Asami placed a comforting hand on Korra's shoulder.  
  
"They were talking about this place in another state, St. Louis I think, where the police are super corrupt and are hurting people," she looked into Asami's face, "I'm the Avatar, I should be doing something. I haven't done one Avatar-y thing since we got stranded. It's been more than two months" she complained as her shoulders drooped. The engineer scooped her into tight hug and buried her face in the shorter woman's neck.  
  
"You can't intervene in situations you know nothing about. You _have_ been doing Avatar stuff, just not punching things and taking names," she felt a chuckle rumble their bodies, "take things at the pace you need to, not the pace you _want_ to, no matter how much you might want otherwise, okay?" She released Korra from the hug but took the sides of her face into her hands and was rewarded by a sincere nod. Smiles abound, the two returned to their hotel room chatting about all the things they learned that day.

 


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's still Wednesday.

Asami glared at the available computer. It would be so easy to stand up, walk over, and sit down in the chair before it. She cast a swift glance around the room and found it mostly empty. Anyone who could possibly see her was focused intently on whatever they were doing. There was absolutely nothing to stop her.

She gathered her courage and walked over to the machine, planting herself in the seat. The moment her tentative hand connected with the mouse (? She was pretty sure that was it's name), the screen shot from black to a white page accented with blue and turquoise. The most prominent features were the two gray boxes that waited to be filled with a login and a password. She scowled and tapped in a random series of letters and numbers, faintly hoping she could guess it. The boxes cleared and flashed 'invalid login/password' at her.  
  
"You get a login when you register at this school" The sudden voice in Asami's ear startled her so badly that she barely stopped herself from ramming her elbow backwards into a neck. It took that long for the voice to register as Cara and she breathed a sigh in relief.  
  
"I know, I just forgot mine" Cara laughed musically and dragged a chair over and seated herself on it.  
  
"That's really funny, miss engineer. You want you know something?" she leaned forward, her grin teasing, "Queens College doesn't offer an engineering major" Asami's blood ran cold. She had to get out of this. Time to break out the famous Sato diplomacy tactics.  
  
"Okay, look, I really _am_ just here for research and the library is always open so technically in not doing anything against any rules" she began, ready for a fight.  
  
"Pfft, I don't care, really. It's none of my business. Here," Cara leaned over and typed her information into the boxes as Asami got a large whiff of her perfume, "I'll even let you log in as me. Just remember not to delete anything and log out when you're done. See you around miss engineer" With another one of her famous smirks and winks, Cara was gone. Just like last time, Asami stared after her in bewilderment.

She cleared her throat uncomfortably and turned back to the screen, determinedly putting the flirtatious girl out if her head. The computer was confusing at first, but the more she explored, the more sense it made. Clicking certain pictures brought up different pages and information. She read everything that came in front of her. When she got home she was going to have a hell of a time replicating this. The thought stopped her cold.

She released the mouse and sat backwards in the chair. Going home was not an option, she had to remember that. Even though she told Korra it was a possibility, she didn't actually believe it. How would they even defeat Daichi if they _could_ get back? They'd been defeated so soundly before, even if they'd had Mako and Bolin with them, the fight would not have been that much more even. She wondered what happened in the three months they'd been gone.

Did Daichi gloat and say he'd sent them to another world, or did he say they were dead? Did he actually know? And if he did say the truth, were their friends looking for them at all? Or were they going about their lives as normal, a little sadder than before and with one eye on Earth Nation babies? She sighed and ran a hand through her hair. She needed to school her thoughts better. It was only another ten minutes before Korra came to pick her up. The usual grin the Avatar gave her was unbearable. Homesick, she launched herself into Korra's comforting embrace.  
  
"What's wrong?" Korra asked softly in her ear, concerned. Asami buried her face deeper to hide her fresh tears.  
  
"I want to go home" she sobbed, trying not to be too loud. Dark arms tightened around her and ran soothing lines up and down her back and sides. They stayed there, clutching each other as if the other was the only thing keeping them from flying into space. Korra whispered softly to the engineer, completely uncaring as to the looks they were getting, especially the pair of brown eyes that watched from behind a bookshelf.  
  
"Hey, hey, you know what? When we get back to the room, I'm going to make you your favorite food, you're gonna make a blanket fort and we're going to pretend none of this crazy stuff is happening. We're going to be happy and have fun, okay? How does that sound?" Korra enthused. Asami pulled out of the hug only enough to wipe her eyes and nod her head. She forced a smile onto her face and sniffled.  
  
"Yeah, sounds really good"


	11. Chapter 11

Korra lugged a stack of boxes out of the company truck and out into the warehouse, earning cheers from the other workers.  
  
"How do you carry that much?!" one called out in resignation. She glanced back, finding him struggling to carry only one box. A smirk was too hard to resist.  
  
"Maybe you can grow up to be me one day" she teased. Being able to lift massive boulders and create tsunamis from a still lake meant a few product boxes were nothing. In all fairness, she was actually downplaying her strength. She could probably lift double what she carried, but that would make her stand out even more. Asami had asked her not to, and she was determined to keep her word where he could.

She placed the boxes where they needed to be and turned around, finding her co-workers gathered near door, staring at something outside. Confused, she followed their example. Outside, a man lay on the ground, his clothes ratty and old. Another well dressed man was standing over him, screaming and kicking him for punctuation. Using airbending, Korra jumped over the group of workers in front of her and landed with her feet on either side of the fallen man. She delivered a short palm strike to the chest of the well dressed man and stood her ground, preparing for a fight.  
  
"What the hell was that for?!" the man screamed at her.  
  
"I will not have you kicking people on the ground. I don't care _what_ your reasoning is, it won't be good enough" she growled, settling into a fighting stance. The man growled back and stood uncomfortably close.  
  
"I found this _asshole_ sleeping on my car! That is a brand new BMW! I will not have some, some, _bum_ messing it up!" he shouted. During the man's entire tirade, the man beneath her quivered and whimpered. Korra couldn't listen to anymore. In one swift motion, she kicked upwards and caught the man's neck and head in the back of her knee and pulled him to the ground then sat, putting pressure on his windpipe.  
  
"I did just say that I don't care what your reasoning is. You don't kick a man on the ground" the Avatar lectured as he struggled. She let up the tiniest bit, just enough to let him breathe.  
  
"Apologize"  
  
"I'm sorry! I won't do it again!"  
  
"Not to me, to him" The man on the ground was supporting himself on his elbows, watching in wonder.  
  
"I'm sorry! I shouldn't have kicked you! Please let me up!" he pleaded, continuing to struggle.  
  
"Is that enough or do you want more?" Korra asked. The dazed man shook his head.  
  
"No, that's, fine" With a nod, she stood up an watched the man scramble away, his nice expensive clothes disheveled and out of place. If she let herself go in to the Avatar state for a second to let her hers flash at him, well, who was to say so? She grinned, satisfied, and extended a hand for the man on the ground to take.  
  
"I'm Korra. What's your name?" she asked, hauling him up.  
  
"I'm Arnold. Why did you just do that? No one helps me" Korra shrugged.  
  
"I help you, it's just what I do. Do you need help getting anywhere? Where are your things?" Together, they tracked down the backpack he'd dropped when he was chased by the well dressed man. She brought him inside the warehouse and sat him in a chair, steadfastly ignoring the stunned looks of the other workers.

He soon had an ice pack over his ribs and the sandwich Korra had intended to eat for lunch in his hand. As he ate, they exchanged stories of homelessness. She told him about India and how beautiful the villages and people were and he told her about the life he had before his wife had divorced him, leaving him with barely enough to live on and how he drank the rest away.  
  
"One way to quit a bad habit; stop having money for it" he joked sadly. Korra's heart felt heavy in her chest as she sat cross legged on the stack of boxes she carried in earlier.  
  
"You know, when I was twenty one I ran away from home. I was in an accident a number of years before and I still wasn't recovered from it. I think it was good that I got away from everyone for a while, but in the end, the people I loved found me anyway. And seeing them again did more for me than staying away" she confessed. Arnold looked at her, considering her words.  
  
"You think I should go back home" It was less of a question and more of a statement.  
  
"I think you need to make that choice yourself. You'll resent anyone who makes it for you" He nodded slowly and chewed on another bite of the sandwich.  
  
"You're probably right. If nothing else, my parents might be happy to see me. Thank you. All of this was really above and beyond" he pointed out. Korra smiled warmly.  
  
"Not above and beyond at all, just what I should be doing" She gifted him the thirty dollars she had in her wallet and he was off, standing undoubtedly taller than before. The sense of fulfillment thrummed in her veins. This was what she was meant to be doing, she was the _Avatar_. The grin stayed plastered to her face for the rest of her work day, even when she went to pick up Asami.  
  
"What are you so smiley about?" she asked as she put away her books.  
  
"I helped a homeless man today. I felt like the Avatar again" Asami's green eyes focused on hers.  
  
"You are always the Avatar" she proclaimed, laying her hand on her friend's arm. As they left, Korra didn't mention the fact that she saw the same yellow haired girl walking away from Asami when she came in that she saw everyday.


	12. Chapter 12

Asami needed a break from the computer for a day. Books were familiar, comforting. Computers had vast amounts of information that she really could never hope to get through, and it was all too much to take in at once. It was late in the day and she was most of the way through a book about World War II when Cara decided to show up.  
  
"Oh World Wars today, huh, miss engineer? What exactly _are_ you researching, anyway?" she asked from the seat next to her. Asami rolled her eyes at the nickname.  
  
"It's not important"  
  
"If it wasn't important, you wouldn't be here everyday without fail, all day until your girlfriend shows up" Cara teased. Immediately, Asami flushed. As pleasant as the thought may be, it was untrue and unfair to say it was.  
  
"Korra is _not_ my girlfriend" she retorted. Cara's eyebrows shot upward as she leaned further into Asami's space and smirked.  
  
"Oh, she's _not_ is she? You know how attractive you are, right? No, you have to know. You are literally the most stunning woman I have ever seen in my life. And since you're not dating the only other person I've _ever_ seen you talk to, I think we should go out" she declared, her gaze looming over Asami's mouth. The engineer flushed deeper but didn't move away. Despite the impropriety of the entire situation, she was curious.

Kissing a girl would be a new experience that - for the first time - was totally allowed. Korra would have been more preferable, but Cara was in no way ugly, quite the opposite, really. Before she could make her mind up to answer, soft lips were pressed against her own. Her eyes slid shut in her surprise, but she didn't kiss back. Slowly, Cara pulled back, eyes half lidded while Asami's were wide in shock.  
  
"She loves you too, ya know, Korra I mean" she mumbled. The engineer blinked, confused. This conversation was giving her whiplash.  
  
"What? No she doesn't"  
  
"Yeah she does. She walked in when I kissed you and then she ran away all in a huff" The statement caused Asami to look around the room, alarmed. She whirled back around to Cara, confused and angry.  
  
"Why did you do that?"  
  
"Wow, you are even more beautiful angry, it must be all that righteous fury"  
  
"No, why?"  
  
"Look, you two have been coming here for a month and you've been dancing around each other the whole time. Even my friend Jeff could see it, and he's only been to the library once in the past _year_. So I thought I'd help out, and maybe get a kiss out of it while I was at it," Cara explained with a shrug, "anyway, your girl's back. Let me know how it goes" She winked and disappeared. Asami was in awe of the skill, how useful it would be to slip out of business parties unnoticed. Seconds later, Korra was standing on the other side of the table, hands shoved into her pockets and her eyes averted. Asami was momentarily distracted by how cute she looked pouting with her short hair pulled back into a tiny ponytail.  
  
"Are you ready to go?" she asked blandly.  
  
"Korra-"  
  
"Cuz I'm really hungry. We should get food on the way back" She took the hint. Korra didn't want to have the conversation. She hoped she could bring it back up later, but knowing Korra, it wouldn't be easy. With a sigh, she stood from the chair.  
  
"Yeah, let's go" The entire walk to the grocery store and ensuing shopping trip was silent. Asami kept stealing glances at Korra, trying to gauge her reaction to everything. The Avatar kept her eyes firmly on the foods she was inspecting, limiting the engineer's information gathering to almost nothing. It wasn't until they were back in their shared motel room eating that she abruptly spoke.  
  
"I mean, it's none of my business who you date. It really isn't, but I want to know, do you really like her?" Asami's head snapped up, alarmed. This wasn't how she was expecting the conversation to go down. She expected a sudden outburst of furious emotion or cold detachment, not whatever _this_ was. She blinked.  
  
"What?" Korra continued to ramble on as if she hadn't heard her speak.  
  
"Because I think I would be a much better girlfriend than she would" Asami wasn't sure she heard right. There was no possible way Korra just said what she thought she said. ' _Girlfriend_ '? But she must have said it because her blue eyes were bright and burned holes in her own with their determination. Her heart felt like a fish exposed to the morning air, flopping uselessly against the hull of the fishing boat.

"Are you serious?" she asked breathlessly.  
  
"Yes. I've been trying not to be obvious about it, and I thought I failed miserably at that, but if you didn't know, I guess I did alight" Korra mumbled, her eyes remaining straight forward.  
  
"Oh. That's a good thing to know. Especially since I've being doing the exact same thing" She put down her fork; it would be impossible to eat now. She tried not to think about tasting Korra's lips.  
  
"So it's settled. We really like each other and should be dating" the Avatar declared. Asami blinked at the abruptness.  
  
"Yes"  
  
"Great. Why did she kiss you?" Asami had almost forgotten that had happened, what with Korra declaring her feelings. It was almost a struggle to remember what Cara had said  
  
"She said it was to make us talk about how we felt"

"Seriously? Just to get us to talk?"

"It worked didn't it?"  
  
"Well, you're right about that. Can _I_ kiss you now?"  
  
"Yes-" Korra was up out of her chair and straddling Asami's lap before she had fully comprehended the question. The Avatar took her face in her hands and leaned down, stopping an inch before contact.  
  
"I hope you know what you're getting in for"  
  
"I hope so too" After that, there were no more truly coherent thoughts. All they could do was feel the the other underneath hands and lips. It took almost no time at all for Korra's shirt to wind up on the floor, letting Asami's surprisingly rough hands touch every inch of the newly exposed skin.

Neither was very sure how they got to the bed, but it wasn't really important in the end. However, as soon as Korra tugged Asami's shirt up, everything stopped. Confused, Asami looked down. The Avatar was staring intently at her stomach and she wondered why until the memory of the scar returned. She waited, hoping Korra would voice her thoughts rather than bottle them up. Her patience was ultimately rewarded.  
  
"I did this. I couldn't beat Daichi and you got hurt and sent here with me. Why don't you hate me?" she asked, her eyebrows knitting together and her eyes swimming with newly formed tears. Asami sat up and stroked her cheeks.  
  
"You keep thinking like this and you'll go crazy. It's not your job to protect me, I can do that myself" she answered softly.  
  
"But I did this to you-"  
  
"Daichi did, not you"  
  
"But I couldn't heal it-"  
  
"You can't honestly think I care about having a few scars" She pulled Korra into a tight hug and lightly traced some of her partner's own scars. "These don't ruin a person, and they don't really change you. They just show what you lived through" The Avatar slowly relaxed against her and arms came up to wrap around her in a vice grip.  
  
"Let's not do anything tonight, okay? It's been a long day" Asami suggested. Korra nodded and they disentangled from one another only long enough to clean up the food and clean up for bed. The moment they were back on the blankets together, grasped one another and refused to let go for the whole night.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm gonna have to skip Sunday's update for a lot of dumb reasons, but have a happy holiday!


	13. Chapter 13

When Asami awoke, she was warmer and more comfortable than she'd been in a while. There was a heavy weight on her left side that was radiating warmth. She burrowed deeper into it and sighed, content. Even through her groggy mind, the memory of the night before shone brightly like the Northern Star. A smile settled on her lips.

She was allowed to revel in the security of Korra's proximity. She was allowed to look at the other woman and feel dragonflymoths in her stomach. She was allowed to press a soft kiss to Korra's forehead and sweep the bangs from her face to better see her eyes ease open. The smile on the Avatar's face mirrored her own and she thought she might die of happiness.  
  
"Morning sleepyhead" Asami greeted quietly. Korra shut her eyes and breathed out a laugh through her nose. With a satisfied hum, she settled back against her. "You have work and you can't go without breakfast" Asami told her. The shorter woman groaned.  
  
"Ten more minutes" she begged half-heartedly, placing slow passionate kisses up the engineer's neck. Asami hummed and ran a hand slowly through Korra's hair. A glance towards the bedside clock told her they did have a little time.  
  
"That can be arranged" she mumbled as she turned her body to press against the length of the Avatar's. The morning turned into lazy kisses and soft caresses, interrupted by the occasional giggle fit. Neither could really believe what was happening, but the disbelief wasn't enough to put a stop to their activities.

Eventually, they dragged themselves out of bed long enough to prepare for the day and eat breakfast, however the process took much longer than normal with their inabilities to remain apart. With a long passionate kiss, they parted for the day. Asami had been at the library for less than an hour when Korra dropped heavily into a chair next to her. The engineer looked up, surprised.  
  
"What are you doing here? I thought you had work" she asked, shoving the book to the side. Korra huffed angrily.  
  
"You remember that guy I helped out? Well one of my co-workers told management about it and they fired me for 'wasting company time'. Dumb" she growled. Asami rubbed a comforting hand along Korra's arm.  
  
"Wow that's incredibly horrible of them. Do you want me to try and make seaweed noodles tonight?" she offered, knowing that it was an empty offer. Her cooking was horrible and Korra knew it too. The Avatar snorted and punched her shoulder playfully.  
  
"I will be happy to make some. But thank you for the offer" she laughed.  
  
"Okay, so I can't cook as comfort, but maybe I can kiss it better?" she hinted. Korra laughed again and drew her in with a hand on her cheek.  
  
"Would you look at that. I can be right sometimes" The couple broke apart at the sound of Cara's voice. She grinned down at them, obviously self-satisfied. Korra glared at her.  
  
"You're the one from yesterday" she bit. Cara grinned even wider.  
  
"Oh yup, that was me. I'm Cara by the way, I don't think we met officially" She stuck out a hand for a handshake and Korra ignored it and continued glaring daggers. Asami rolled her eyes and poked her in the side.  
  
"And this is Korra, who is being a little ridiculous right now" she said, giving the woman a light shove.  
  
"Say no more. I completely understand. I just came over to wish you too luck. No, really! It's nice to meet you Korra. However, I've got to go to a really useless group project. I'll see you around miss engineer" She gave her customary wink and went on her way. The Avatar jut out her jaw in a scowl.  
  
"I don't like her" she decided.  
  
"Why? Because she's abrasive and crazy like you?" Asami asked with a laugh. Korra scowled even more. They spent the rest of the day at the computer with Asami teaching Korra how to use it and the things it did. When they opened up the internet the opening page was a news article. Korra frowned and read through it, ignoring the instruction she had just been given. It was about a college student on the other side of the country who was stabbed by another student. Asami stopped speaking and watched her friend become engrossed. Korra hadn't talked about it much, but whenever she did, it was like he was talking about fighting Amon or Unalaq; it was clearly something she felt she _had_ to do.  
  
"We can go if you want" she said quietly. Korra whipped her head around, her face slackened in shock.  
  
"What?"  
  
"You can go be the Avatar to all these people if you want to. It's what you were born to do after all, bring balance to the world and all that. No one ever specified _which_ world, so you're probably safe" she joked.  
  
"You're serious" Korra was dumbfounded.  
  
"Yeah, of course. When haven't I happily put my life in your hands?" The Avatar blinked, remembering the last time Asami had said the phrase.  
  
"I mean, if you're open to it" They locked eyes, the world fading away around them. Korra could really believe how perfect Asami was for her. No matter what, the engineer would invariably know what she was thinking and what she wanted. Bubbling with emotion, he darted across the space between them to kiss the other woman. Asami was unprepared, but quickly returned the pressure.

Korra attempted to convey the gratefulness and _affection_ she felt but it was a hard thing to do, even with words, and she was never very good at those. Asami's fingers curled loosely against her collarbone as the kiss deepened. She almost seemed to understand what the Avatar wanted to say and they brushed lips for the final time. Even now that they had stopped, she could still feel Korra's breath against her lips.  
  
"I don't know what I'd do without you" the shorter woman whispered.  
  
"You'd probably be arrested at one point or another" she teased, kissing the tip of Korra's nose.  
  
"Man, I leave you two alone for an hour and you're going at it in the middle of the library. Do you guys have no restraint?" Korra dropped her head with a groan and Asami smiled politely to the returned Cara.  
  
"You know us hormonal kids" Cara laughed at the joke and leaned her hip against their computer desk.  
  
"Well, it happens. And I guess you guys get a little more leeway seeing as it's a new relationship" she conceded.  
  
"Actually, we should probably tell you, we're leaving tomorrow" she informed. Cara was scandalized.  
  
"No, you cannot leave without first coming to my open mic. We have it once a month and I set this one up. It's tonight, please say you'll come" she begged, clasping her hands at her chest and forcing her expression to be as pitiful as possible. Korra rolled her eyes.  
  
"Fine, when and where?"


	14. Chapter 14

The address Cara wrote down for them was on campus in the Agora Cafe in the student union, which was at the for corner of the campus as opposed to the library which was in the dead center. Korra grumbled the entire way there about how she didn't want to go until Asami jabbed her in the ribs with an elbow.  
  
"You wouldn't have told me your feelings if it weren't for her, so give her at least that" she argued. The Avatar sported her famous pout but stopped complaining. Inside was painted with deep, warm reds and blinding whites. Asami tightened her lips, disapproving.  
  
"What, not pretty enough for your sensibilities, princess?" Korra heckled. The engineer shot her a withering look but didn't deign to give a response. Cara spotted them from across the entrance hall and called out to them.  
  
"Hey! Over here!" Too impatient to wait, she bounded across the room and grabbed each of their hands.  
  
"Come on, I'll make sure you don't get lost" She was pulling them along before she ever finished her sentence. The room she led them to was another floor up (dragging them up a flight of stairs had been odd) and around a corner. It was large and had much the same color scheme of the rest of the building. Tables and chairs littered the large floor and a makeshift stage was pushed against one wall so that the performer's back would be to a window.

A table laden with snacks and drinks was against the table as far away from the stage as possible, likely to keep people from passing in front of it. Groups of people were all milling about, chatting to others or raiding the snack table. A few others were tuning instruments in their seats. Cara finally released them and gestured to the room before them.  
  
"So yeah, make yourselves at home, if you need anything, you know where to find me" She gave them a thumbs up and fled towards the stage where a man was playing with wires. Korra offered her elbow.  
  
"Shall we?" Asami giggled and accepted it, hanging her arms off of her friend's. They each took a small helping of snacks from the table and found a place off to the side of the stage to watch. Thankfully, no one came up to talk to them, but Asami definitely saw a few guys looking lewdly in their direction. Whenever she saw it, he let herself be a little more physically affectionate with Korra to stake her ground. Eventually, Cara tapped on the microphone to draw everyone's attention.  
  
"Hello and welcome to the open mic!" she introduced with a bright smile. She paused to allow for clapping and cheering before continuing. "My name's Cara, I prepared tonight and I just wanted to thank everyone for coming, even if your friend dragged you here" Korra didn't imagine the look she tossed their way. "Let's start! I know Ed had a really cool poem he wanted to share so we'll start with you!" She led the room in clapping for Ed as he made his way to the stage.

Cara disappeared in the crowd and a tall scrawny guy that reminded Korra of Ryu took her place. And thus the night progressed. People got up and off the stage the whole night, some recited poems, others jokes, but most people played songs and sang. The skill levels varied but most of them were very good.

For the most part, Korra tuned out and let the melodies wash over her, her eyes closed. It wasn't until the near middle of the event that a girl went up on stage with an electronic piano that she opened her eyes. The lyrics resonated a little too much and the melody was soft and sweet. She glanced at Asami whose focus was solely on the performer.

The thought that she might be absorbing everything just in case they every got home was amusing and she smiled. Asami was always three steps ahead of everyone else and Korra loved that. She loved that Asami always knew what to do. She loved the way her eyes lit up at the sight of new technology. She loved that she was always so conscious of food ending up on her face when eating.

She loved Asami. Plain and simple.

But it was a little too quick to say so. Instead, she moved to watch the performer again and let her hand snake to the space between the two of them where she knew the engineer's hand was. She loosely intertwined their fingers, causing Asami to jump at the abrupt touch and look down at their hands. Korra swore she saw a smile as the engineer's grip tightened around hers, but she said nothing.

They allowed themselves to be immersed in the night, feeling the new music and atmosphere. Republic City had clubs, yes, but none of them felt like this. It was fascinating to watch a pair of friends – one with bongos and the other at the microphone – lay down a steady beat as the other spoke rapidly over it. Korra made a mental note to ask Asami about it later, or Cara, if the engineer didn't know.

She enjoyed watching Asami's reactions to the varied types of acts. During most of the musicians, her eyes were sharp, absorbing the different styles and how each of the musicians performed and acted on stage. Some used instruments she recognized – the electric piano, a guitar, a violin – and some that she didn't – a small computer that the boy tapped at different sections to produce different sounds (people cheered really loudly when he went on) – and she seemed to like all of it.

The poets were just as diverse and if Korra were asked, she would have admitted to being surprised by that. Most poets from home were dramatic and dressed in dark clothes. The people reading their works were all different and normal people. It was refreshing to see something like that normalized in a place where everything else seemed backwards. Cara found them towards the end of the night.

"So how is my favorite power couple doing?" she asked, pulling a chair over and straddling the backrest. Asami rolled her eyes.

"Cara"

"I don't know why you're fighting that, you two really are a force of nature" Korra jut out her jaw and narrowed her eyes at her.

"I don't like you-"

"Oh lovely. Who doesn't want to hear that?"

"-but I want to thank you for being Asami's friend" Asami squeezed Korra's hand again, grateful.

"Good, that's better. And really, it was all my pleasure" The smile Cara gave was genuine and relaxed. Her brown eyes twinkled happily in the dim light. She really liked them.

"We're leaving tomorrow, probably for good" Asami informed. Cara's happy smile dropped into a pout.

"But we were just bonding!"

"It's just time for us to go. I’m sorry" the engineer continued. The blonde sighed.

"Nah, I get it. It's fine. But hey," she grabbed a napkin from the center of one of tables and pulled a pen from her boot, "call me if you ever need anything. I always answer for unknown numbers. It makes for interesting conversations" Asami laughed and nodded.

"You got it"


	15. Chapter 15

They left the motel the next morning, their ratty backpacks stuffed with everything they owned, ready to walk another country. As they walked, Korra brought back the bending demonstrations. Unlike before, she had to insist people not film her. They had learned since the Dwarkadhish temple what the small black boxes were and how the internet connected with them. They entered Pennsylvania with almost no issues, and as they reached the middle of the state, they started noticing signs for a 'Hershey Park'.  
  
"Why do I know that name?" Asami wondered aloud as they passed a sign saying it was only five miles away. "Oh! It was on that candy bar we almost bought, do you remember?" she asked Korra, proud of herself for remembering something so insignificant at the time.  
  
"Oh yeah, I think so. What is it, a park dedicated to the guy who made some chocolate?" the Avatar wondered. The only park she really knew about was the one named after her, and no one really advertised for that, especially not miles away.  
  
"I don't know. Well it's not as if we have somewhere specific to be. What do you say to checking it out?" They detoured where the sign said to and they followed it and the accumulating crowds. Most of the groups were families with children, some dressed with bathing suits underneath their clothes. A few other groups were all teenagers or adults, but those were fewer in number. Everyone eventually funneled into ticket lines.  
  
"How does the air smell like chocolate?" Asami muttered, astounded. Even Korra looked around in wonder. Once they got to the front of their line and paid for two tickets, they walked towards a wall interspersed with gates. On the other side there were height markers using various candies. Asami studied them as they walked by and Korra looked on, amused.  
  
"Taking notes?" she giggled.  
  
"Just think of it, 'Sato Park', or maybe 'Future World'" She instantly was lost in thought, planning and devising in her head. The Avatar took her hand and decided not to remind her that they didn't know how to get home. As they walked around the park, they took in the place around them. Every few feet there were signs pointing to various rides or cart vendors, selling food, candy, or other merchandise.

Lining the roads were carnival games that Korra was familiar with from the spirit festival from home. Korra saw a large stuffed animal that she knew Asami would love, but they needed to conserve _some_ money, so she refrained from mentioning it as they passed by. Many of the game prizes were mascots of the chocolate company, which frankly, weirded Korra out. She thanked anyone who had a hand in it that there were no plush Varrick heads floating around anywhere. They nearly walked by a large yellow looping track when Korra dragged them to a stop. A contraption carrying screaming people hurtled down the track over their heads and she turned to Asami, an anticipatory grin on her face.  
  
"Can we? Please?" she begged. The engineer rolled her eyes at her childishness, but agreed, as her engineer heart was dying to see how it all worked. The sign at the beginning of the line titled the ride 'Great Bear' and she couldn't help but think of Bosco, the former Earth King Kuei's pet. At the front of the line they stuffed their bags into cubbies and allowed themselves to be strapped in.

All the while, Asami narrated the technological steps under her breath, astonished, making Korra giggle. However, she stopped once the ride got going. She was too terrified to. Their hands gripped at the restraints as adrenaline coursed through their veins. It was over far too quickly and the couple stumbled out with their bags, laughing in exhilaration.

Korra's eyes were attracted to the howling Asami and she loved the sight. The non bender didn't often let her emotions show to such an extent and it was truly beautiful. On impulse, she grabbed her face and kissed her, putting forth all the emotion she could. Asami gripped her hips and held her close, reacting just as passionately to the kiss as Korra had initiated it. It was truly too dirty a kiss for most public spaces – as evidenced by some of the scoffs of people passing them – but neither cared much. Even long after it ended, they stayed close, leaving only enough space between them to breathe.  
  
"What was that for?" Asami gasped.  
  
"You looked really hot laughing that hard and I just couldn't stop myself" Korra admitted. A brief silence devolved once more into giggles until they decided to move along. After the Great Bear was the Coal Cracker, followed by the Wild Mouse, the Sidewinder, the Claw, and ended with a view of the setting sun from the top of the Ferris wheel. They leaned heavily against one another, exhausted from the day.

"This is kind of romantic" Korra commented, her eyes on the horizon. Asami let out a bark of laughter.

"When did you become a sap?" she teased.

"Honestly, I just wanted to beat _you_ to the punch" The visit came to a satisfying end and they found a cheap motel to stay in. Unlike many rooms before it, it had two beds. And unlike many nights before, they they happily shared. The lights were off and Asami was attempting to sleep when Korra spoke.  
  
"I had fun today, but don't you think it's weird?"  
  
"Don't I think what's weird?" came the mumbled reply.  
  
"That places like _that_ exist when Darshana lives in a tiny run down farm house. And like so many of the other villagers we met. Instead of helping those people, the people here spend their time, money, and energy arguing about whether or not they could get a stuffed animal that looks like candy" Korra explained, her arms tightening around Asami's body. The engineer sighed and let her fingers trace slow shapes over the skin of Korra's arm.  
  
"People don't like to be reminded that they have it good. Because then they couldn't complain about things. They don't want to admit they have a responsibility. It's not too different at home. Raiko didn't do a _thing_ for the Southern Water Tribe when the North invaded. It's the same" The Avatar hummed into her shoulder.  
  
"Asami?"  
  
"Yes?"  
  
"I like you"  
  
"I like you too"


	16. Chapter 16

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you to everyone who submitted their hobbies! It was very helpful and I hope you enjoy what I've done with it!

It was easy for them to settle into the rhythm of living on the road. After India and their flight from Zaheer, it was familiar and comforting. But the total freedom it provided was something else entirely. They could eat when they wanted, sleep when they wanted, kiss when they wanted. No one was around to criticize them or rush them off to appointments or to stop wars. Sightseeing became the order of the day.

In Georgia they caught a local school game that neither of them really knew the rules to. It looked a bit like earth soccer, only with hands, no earthbending, and with more frequent stops. The game was confusing so the couple stood up and cheered whenever everyone else around them did, and booed as well. They shouted out taunts as if they knew what they were talking about, causing them both to clutch their sides laughing.

A forest in Florida led to hours of exploring and tree climbing. They raced to see who was the faster climber and Asami's nimble fingers and lighter weight helped her claw her way up. Korra almost cheated with airbending, but she knew her girlfriend wouldn't forgive that easily if she were caught. The forest tapered out into a small beach with a sandbar a little ways out. Their shoes were tossed aside and their pants rolled up. Splashing around was fun. As the sun started to set, they cuddled up next to each other and watched the sky paint over itself in one of a kind colors until they disappeared entirely into the darkness of night.

In Texas, a slightly older couple took them out on the water for a fishing trip. As the couple leaned over the side of the boat, Korra caught a fish in a blob of water and showed it off to Asami. The engineer snorted and motioned urgently for the Avatar to drop it. The fish and water splashed back down just as the other couple hauled their own - smaller - fish over the edge of the boat. Korra's congratulatory smile was a little too amused.

In California, a teenager taught them how to skateboard. To Korra, it felt like combining earthbending and waterbending and the whole process was made a thousand times easier. Asami could not get the hang of it, no matter what she did. After one fall too many, she gave up and just watched the Avatar enjoy herself. That didn't stop her from memorizing the design for future reference.

Utah was where they “borrowed” an inner tube from an unlocked garage and slid down a snowy mountain, with Korra carefully guiding their route with bending. Asami laughed the whole time, giddy with the rush. She'd grown so used to racing frequently at home that the speed was comforting. When they finally slowed to a stop, she had to clutch her knees until her laughter subsided. Korra wrapped an arm around her waist and, bemused, they returned the inner tube, mindful of the house's yappy dog that nearly exposed them the first time.

Korra thoroughly enjoyed jumping in on a pick up ice hockey game in Minnesota. The rules were much easier to understand than football, which they'd seen in Georgia. She was unnaturally good on the ice and the kids she played with – 12 to 16 year olds – were in awe. Asami had to hide her grin the entire time, or else the kids would think Korra was cheating. She probably was (waterbending was very useful) but Asami wasn't going to be the one to let that slip.

In northern Michigan they found and outdoor mover, free for the public. They pulled out their ratty blankets and cuddled together, swaddled and warm. They fell asleep as the credits began to roll. They woke up tangled in one another and the blankets. The blankets took a long time to put away because Asami kept slapping Korra's butt, making the other woman flush and giggle.

It felt like the world was at their feet, even though they knew that the country was barely allowing them to stay. Korra enjoyed meeting people and Asami liked seeing the new possibilities that the world had to offer. And there were a lot of new possibilities.

They worked together like they always did, calmly and in tandem. It was easy and it made Asami think. If they were stuck there forever, what was next? Did they just continue traveling until they died? She was sure Korra could, but she couldn't. She liked coming home to her own private space every day. Maybe even her own girlfriend.

But for now, she allowed herself to walk aimlessly, her hand tucked into Korra's as they traversed an increasingly familiar country. There were things she knew she'd never understand, and that was okay, because the two of them had things that no one else would understand. They had bending, and spirits, and Avatars. And each other, with more shared experiences between them that could never be talked about to a general public, not really.

In Indiana, she rolled out her blanket, preparing for the night. Korra stood a few feet away, waiting until she was finished. The engineer lay down and Korra followed suit. As soon as she was under their blanket, she bent the earth around them, forming a solid tent. She rested her head against Asami's chest and wrapped her arms around her waist. Almost immediately her breathing slowed.

"Asami?" she said quietly. Her warm breath puffed against the engineer's exposed skin.

"Yeah?" Her deft hands stroked through Korra's short hair.

"I know this whole situation is generally crap, but I'm glad that I'm with you rather than anyone else" Korra mumbled.

"Me too"


	17. NSFW

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So uh, yeah. I tried my hand at smut again.

It was in Kentucky that Asami loomed over Korra in their first motel room in months. Up until then, most nights were spent in kind stranger's homes or in tents made with earthbending. Neither were very good for a first time. But now the bed was soft and private.

Korra's shirt and chest wrap had already disappeared into some corner of the room and Asami's pants had been taken off before they'd even hit the bed. The engineer pressed a trail of slow, wet kisses over the muscled body beneath her. One hand held down the other woman's hip and the other brushed against heaving ribs. Korra's fingers were either lost in Asami's dark hair or tangled in the sheets. The engineer nipped at a hipbone and looked up, green eyes searching blue.  
  
"Can I?" she asked breathlessly. They'd had plenty of heated make-outs where clothes had been discarded, but Korra always seemed to get lost in her own head when she saw the scar across Asami's stomach.  
  
"Yeah" the Avatar gasped, her hips bucking upwards from the bite. Slowly, Asami tugged down her pants, kissing the newly exposed skin of her thighs and shins as as she went. Her could hear Korra trying (and failing) to control her breathing and for a moment she thought the Avatar was nervous. But when she looked down, her pupils were blown wide, nearly eclipsing the blue. Asami crawled back up and captured her lips in a searing kiss that left them both winded.  
  
"You are gonna be the death of me" Korra panted, pressing another kiss to Asami's cherry red lips. The engineer gave her a playful nip on the chin and kissed back down her body. She mouthed Korra through her dark blue panties, teasing, and earned a low keening noise. With a grin she stripped them off and allowed herself to marvel at the sight of the all mighty Avatar laid naked and prone before her, completely at her mercy.

She bent back down and let her tongue roam all the parts of Korra that had been long hidden to her. Simultaneously her hands brushed rough skin and hard muscle, memorizing them. She wanted to be able to remember every detail of the night, no matter how many years would go by. This was important and nothing could convince her otherwise. Korra arched upwards against her and moaned.  
  
"Asami, I'm- _oh_ I'm-" And just like that, her body tensed in release. She flattened against the bed out of exhaustion, her chest continuing to heave. Asami sat back on her legs. Her hands never stopped stroking the Avatar's legs in long slow motions. She watched Korra's reaction carefully.  
  
"How was that?" she asked nervously. Korra peaked through one lazily opened eye at her.  
  
"Well, you're still wearing far too much clothes, aren't you?" She sat up and dragged the engineer into a truly languorous kiss. She shuddered when she tasted herself on Asami's tongue. This world was full of new experiences, wasn't it? She trailed her fingers up Asami's sides, taking the shirt with her. Using her considerable upper body strength, she flipped them, landing Asami underneath her. With the shirt now gone, Korra had full access to the engineer's neck and shoulders. She attacked the pulse point at her neck and earned a moan.  
  
"Hold on, wait a second" Asami mumbled with a gentle push to Korra's shoulder. She reached behind her back and easily unhooked her bra and tossed it away, draping her arms over Korra's shoulders again for a hungry kiss. The Avatar's hands moved to her breasts, her touch gentle despite the rough pace they had before. Her lips left a cold trail as they moved downwards and took a nipple into her mouth.

Asami gasped and it quickly turned into a moan as Korra worked. Her hand shifted to grip the Avatar's muscled shoulders and to scratch down the dark skin of her back, her breath hitching in her throat. Korra released her with a wet pop and scooted downwards, stopping at eye level with Asami's scar. The engineer noticed and mentally prepared to be left hanging.  
  
"Korra..." she trailed off, unsure of what to say. Reverently, the woman above her dipped her head, pressing the most tender kiss she'd ever given just on top of the shiny tissue. The air rushed from Asami's lungs as Korra kissed the length of the mark. This was what it felt like to be in love, she knew that better than her own name. Just like she knew that Korra felt the exact same, but she wanted to hear it, no matter how selfish it may be.  
  
"I love you" she breathed out. The Avatar stopped mid kiss and looked up. Her blue eyes were swimming with emotion. Without hesitation, she aligned their bodies again and the resulting kiss was so passionate that Asami felt her spine tingle from the base of her skull down to her hips.  
  
"Good, because I really love you too"  
  
"How convenient"  
  
"Mm, yes" They dove right back in to kissing and Asami's heart felt too big in her chest. Korra _had_ to be able to feel it. She was almost surprised when she felt a hand gently caressing her inner thigh, seemingly asking for permission.  
  
"I swear, if you don't touch me _right now_ -" Korra obeyed and swallowed her gasp with a dirty kiss. After how emotionally charged she'd become, it wasn't long until she came apart in the Avatar's hands. Her vision flashed white around the edges and she had to wait to come back to herself. When she did, she became aware of gentle fingers tracing the line on her stomach.  
  
"This isn't going to happen again" Korra vowed softly.  
  
"What, the sex? Because I actually enjoyed that" The other woman dipped her head to hide a smile.  
  
"No, _this_. You're not going to get hurt again because of me, I won't let you" Asami rolled her eyes and seized the face beside her, ensuring her attention.  
  
"I am no where I don't want to be. If I get hurt, that is my own damn fault and no one else's. Do you understand?"  
  
"But-"  
  
" _Korra_ " A heavy sigh.  
  
"Okay, yeah. You're right. You could easily choose to runaway from anything at anytime, but here you are" Korra marveled. Asami pressed a light kiss to her cheek.  
  
"Exactly, now we're both exhausted so let's sleep"


	18. Chapter 18

When Asami woke up she was bone tired and utterly at peace with everything in the world. Everything was absolutely perfect and no amount of evidence or proof otherwise could ever tell her differently. She was mashed up against a sleeping Korra's back, her arms tucked around her body.

Slowly, as not to wake her bedmate, she extricated her arms and sat up to better study the other woman. Korra rolled more onto her front at the loss of Asami's warmth, revealing her whole back. The engineer drank in the sight. For years, she had admired Korra's strength and athleticism, of which her muscles were undeniable proof.

She loved watching Korra move between bending forms, quietly showing off a grace that most people forgot bending required. The Avatar's back was a wall that she constantly wanted to plow through. She wanted to run her palms over its valleys and hills and hear the sounds Korra made as she did it. She wanted to know if it smelled the same at the base of her spine as at the top of it in her hairline. She wanted to feel the muscles bunch and tense and ease back out.

Light scratches still colored the Avatar's shoulders with light pink lines and she had to smile. She caused those. A rush of excitement flooded through her and she had to bite her lip to keep from squealing. Sex with Korra. Wow. That had really happened. She let her hands glide up Korra's sides and she pressed the body back against the expanse of skin in front of her. Asami planted light, warm kisses to the Avatar's neck and jaw. Korra moaned sleepily under her.  
  
"Hey, good morning" she whispered into her ear. A lazy smile spread across her face as she rolled over over her side. She blinked slowly and laid her palm against Asami's thigh.  
  
"Damn right it is" she returned, her voice slurred, thick with sleep. The engineer wanted to wrap herself in the warm, sleepy, post-sex Avatar. She didn't care if she never ate or drank again. Being with Korra was worth it.  
  
"So what's on tap for today?" she asked. Her fingers trailed slow circles and spirals against Korra's hip and bottom.  
  
"I don't know, I was kind of hoping you'd let me ravish you again. I've got all _kinds_ of ideas now" The Avatar grinned mischievously and reached upwards to drag the other woman down into a slow, hungry kiss. It was there, in thee it contact that Asami found another place that she would gladly stay forever. Just as she started to lean down and let Korra have her way with her, the door burst from it's hinges.

They shot off the bed into fighting stances, completely ignoring their mutual nudity. Their modesty mattered a lot less than the men in black swarming into their room, weapons drawn and pointed towards them. She could feel the air around Korra heat up and start to move. Her command of the elements was truly impressive.  
  
"Who are you? What do you want?" She barked. Asami desperately wished that she had the small knife that was in her bag. Any weapon would be a help. She spotted the complimentary pen resting on the desk next to her. That would do. She dropped her left hand slightly so that she could grab it quicker when the fighting broke out.  
  
"We are the Department of Homeland Security and you two are wanted for questioning. Put your hands up and surrender" one of the men ordered. They couldn't tell which had spoken due to the masks that covered each of their faces. But Korra decided that it didn't really matter.  
  
"Why would we do that? You haven't said what we're wanted for" Asami pointed out, shifting her weight subtly.  
  
"That's classified"  
  
"That's bison- _shit_ " With a gust of air, Korra pushed back at the first row of men, knocking them onto their backs. Asami snatched the pen and stabbed the closest man to her in the hand, eliciting a loud scream as he fell to the ground. She ignored him and moved on to the next one barely a foot away. He was attempting to grab her arms, but she was too well trained to keep them in reach. She delivered sharp jab after jab. The man followed his friend to the ground, dazed.

A sharp pain in her shoulder distracted her from throwing another punch. She looked down to find a dart protruding from her skin. She grit her teeth and pulled it out. Her time was limited now and the soldiers seemed to sense it. They didn't come closer to her, choosing instead to keep some space in the crowded hotel room.

Beside her, Korra was still going full tilt. Her skillful airbending put a larger pile of men at her feet than Asami's, but she didn't know about the tranquilizers. Already Asami's eyes were loosing focus and her knees knocked together.

"Korra, they're using tranquilizers" Oh, there went her legs.

"Asami!" Korra felt the sharp sting next in her thigh. The adrenaline pumped it through her body than Asami's and it barely a minute before she was passed out on the floor.

~~~

Korra knew that her hands were tied long before she opened her eyes. Naturally, the information set her on edge, her adrenaline beginning to pump again. Where ever she was, was no friendly place. She had to find Asami and get out of there. She anticipated it being a challenge however, as any interrogator worth their salt would have them separated.

She opened her eyes and was pleased to note that they'd given her clothes. Nothing extravagant; just a t-shirt and shorts, but it was slightly less humiliating than wandering around naked. The room she'd been stuffed into was plain. White walls, white ceiling, white floor. The only thing to break the monotony of color was a wood door and a large mirror (was it really a mirror?) on the wall she faced. The door opened and a woman in a suit entered.

"Hello. My name is Agent Hernandez. What's your name?" she asked, linking her hands behind her back. Korra bit the inside of her cheek.

"Where am I? Where is she?" she demanded. She wasn't giving Agent Hernandez anything until she got some answers of her own. Unfortunately, the other woman seemed to have the same idea and shook her head.

"Not until I get your name" Korra rolled her eyes.

"It was on the hotel registration. You can't tell me you guys were too dumb to look at that"

"What is your name?"

"Korra Sato. Happy?" she growled, frustrated. Agent Hernandez nodded slowly.

"Thank you Ms. Sato," Korra almost laughed, "now please tell me how you do those things-"

"Where is she-"

"-or I will never _tell_ you" The situation shifted sharply into focus. Korra didn't know where she was. Asami was missing. They knew Asami was her weak point and were willing to use her as a bargaining chip. Korra was royally screwed.


	19. Chapter 19

Asami tried treating the interrogation like an interview from bad press. Never  _really_ give anything away, even after a direct question.

"How did you obtain a temporary passport?"

"By asking for it"

"And how did you ask for it?"

"Politely" The man interrogating her growled and paced the small room, scrubbing his face with his hands.

"Ma'am. Do you understand the situation you are in?" Asami briefly remembered asking Korra the same thing so long ago.

"Yes. Better than you probably"

"Then you understand that I am trying to protect an entire country"

"From me and my girlfriend? If you've been watching us for as long as you say you have, you know that we've never hurt anyone and are at a low risk of doing so" She was fed up and deprived of slow wake up sex with Korra. Had she been in the mood to deal with the man, it had evaporated a long time ago.

"Your girlfriend? I thought she was your sister" he asked, perking up.

"Adoptive sister. We're not related so it's technically legal" she snapped. The agent studied her for a moment and nodded.

"True. But not everyone's adoptive sister slash girlfriend can do what she does. How does she do it?" His brown eyes were set in determination.

"I wouldn't know. _I_ can't do it"

"Are there other people that can?"

"None that I can point you to"

"So there are some" She clenched her jaw.

"Not anywhere you'll find" The banter was becoming frustrating and when it came down to it, she really had no new information for them. What could she tell them? 'We came from another world so if you get us back there I'll let you study bending all you want'? The agent glared at her and opened his mouth to speak, but was interrupted by the opening of the room's only door.

"Agent Watkins. We need you to crack the other one. This one isn't going to get us anywhere" a woman in the doorway ordered. He nodded stiffly.

"Yes ma'am" After a quick glance in Asami's direction, he brushed past the other agent on his way out of the room. The woman entered and looked at her for almost five full minutes without saying anything. Asami might have been tempted to squirm, but her father's stare had instilled more fear in her when she was a child, and she had only faced countless more terrifying people since then.

"You are Asami Sato?"

"Yes" The woman nodded, but said nothing else. Asami started dismantling an engine in her head and reassembling it piece by piece just to pass the time. Occasionally, she would think of an innovation to fix a problem, or make the while thing run better and her hands itched to write it down. She forced herself to make mental notes rather than ask for paper. Her first warning to Korra still rang true. If the enemy didn't know what you could do, don't tell them.

"Why are you posing as siblings?" the agent asked suddenly, breaking the long silence.

"'Posing'?"

"You could have said you were wives or something. Oh, you weren't going out at the time. Interesting" Asami frowned.

"I fail to see how that's interesting" The woman rounded on her with sharp eyes.

"I don't know, why don't you tell me? Why were you in such a rush to get to this country?" She wanted to smack her head somewhere. They were hardly in a rush. She sighed.

"Look-" A smack to her face startled her. She blinked owlishly at the woman who'd just slapped her. It hadn't hurt, but she hadn't expected it either.

"Don't play games with me and expect to win. What is she?" The agent's voice was low and angry.

"Human" Another slap.

"What are you doing here?"

"Trying to live" The next slap was sharper and Asami knew that the woman wouldn't give up easily.


	20. Chapter 20

Korra coughed and spit on the floor, tasting blood in her mouth. The male agent who'd shown up kept repeating the same questions to her, as if now she would suddenly decide to answer any differently than she had.

"How do you do it?"

"I told you, I was born like this" Another punch to the gut. Her years of training ensured that he wasn't throwing anything that her that she couldn't handle, but she needed to get out and find Asami. She just needed to wait for her opening.

"Miss Sato," Korra smiled involuntarily, "if you don't tell me, this is only going to get worse for you" the agent promised, crouching on the ground to be eye level with her. She stared back at him fiercely, tight-lipped and ready. The agent sighed and stood up. Korra watched him warily as he paced the room, untying the knot of his tie.

He whirled around suddenly, his fist colliding with her head and the world was thrown into sharp focus. She was aware – in a detached sort of way – that she had gone into the Avatar state, but she was too overwhelmed by the images assaulting her brain.

Daichi stood over her, raining down punches and kicks, along with bending combinations and Korra felt like a ragdoll. His flames licked at her skin and she could do almost nothing to stop them. Asami's terrified voice shouting her name sounded like it was underwater. He was telling her that it was all over, that she would be the end and suddenly Asami's body dropped half on top of her.

She knew what was next.

The words he spoke her slow and diligent. From her awkward position on the ground, she could see him concentrate with everything he had. She committed each syllable and accompanying movement to memory. She wasn't sure she could replicate it later, but it would certainly be worth a try why push came to shove.

A flash of light in the memory brought her back to the present with a gasp. The agent watched her fearfully, his hands balled into fists with white knuckles.

“What? Never seen a divine being before?” Korra teased, her chest heaving. Her eyes slid closed in the brief respite to center her breathing and make sure she remembered what Daichi did. The agent left the room in a flurry, making a surprising amount of noise as he did so. Eventually, she calmed down enough to think of escaping.

Chances were that they didn't know she could metal bend. She could feel the metal all around her to the point where it practically felt like it was vibrating, waiting to be used. She could escape. The only question was Asami. In most situations, she would expect the other woman to be out before she could even think about it, but this was a different case.

Unlike so many times before when Asami rescued Korra, they were together. There was no searching or guessing involved. They just unlocked the doors – or busted out – and left. Without any way to find her, they were stuck there.

Korra sighed and rolled her shoulder slowly to stretch the muscle. The ropes binding her wrists together behind her back chaffed uncomfortably against her skin. If only she could do the seeing through the ground thing that the Bei Fongs could do. There was never a worse time to regret not learning it. Well, no time like the present.

She cleared her mind and focused on the metal around her and stomped hard on the ground. Nothing. She tried again. Nothing. Korra growled and tried to remember what Suyin had said when she was first learning metal bending. It was essentially the same thing, just on a larger scale.

Slow breaths. In. Out. Stomp.

The world around her was fuzzy, but she could _see_. A corridor, a few rooms and other agents walking along. The agent who'd been interrogating her was bracing himself against the wall as he tried to catch his breath, and- _there_. Asami was in a room much like hers with that Agent Hernandez. That wasn't too far away. She could just-

The door opened and the agent came back in, a new determination on his face.

"You're going to tell me what that was" he demanded.


	21. Chapter 21

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm gonna have to miss Wednesday, jsyk!

Asami watched the woman leave the room in a huff. After two hours of near silence interspersed by useless interrogation, it was understandable that she would want a break. Asami huffed herself at the knowledge that _she_ wouldn't get one. But the solitude meant that she had an opportunity. 

One perk of being an engineer meant that Asami knew the weak spots of almost any metal faster than she could lap a track. Even though her arms lacked circulation from the awkward angle, she could still feel the handcuffs well enough to feel where she could break them. Unfortunately, as she jiggled them, she knew that doing so would result in her injury. 

With a sigh, she pressed the metal links to the edge of the chair back. She began rocking the chair. It started tipping backwards and she threw her weight to her right so that when it fell, it would land directly on the handcuff links. She crashed to the ground painfully, groaning internally. 

The fall had definitely broken her left wrist and possibly something in her hand. However, her hands were now free from each other. Biting her lip against a moan, she forced herself to her feet and cradled her injured hand against her chest. She breathed heavily through her nose for a moment, hoping to force the pain to subside a little. 

But time was scarce. 

Asami carefully opened the room's only door slowly, half expecting someone to jump out at her and attack. The short corridor was deserted in both directions. She took one step out of the room before a door a few feet away opened. She heaved the door most of the way shut, leaving only a sliver to see and hear what was happening. 

"Need another break, big guy? I can do this-" Korra's taunt was cut off but the door closing again. 

"I hate my job some days" she heard the familiar voice of Agent Watkins complain. Asami had to laugh softly to herself. Korra was definitely good at causing trouble, no matter what. The agent's footsteps clacked down the hall until she could no longer hear them. 

Immediately, she launched out into the corridor and flung open the door he'd just closed. The Avatar's room was like her own, white and bare with only an injured captive in the middle of it. Korra's bruised face lit up at the sight of her.

"Hey, you" she greeted happily. 

"What the hell happened to you? Are you okay?" 

"Why are you asking me? Look at your wrist!" Asami's left wrist had already begun swelling and turning sickly colors. 

"I'll let you heal it when we have more time, now come on. Metal bend out of those" she ordered, glancing back out into the hallway. Korra was standing next to her a moment later, bending the twisted cuffs off her wrists. She mumbled a quick thanks and they were on the move. 

"So do you know how to get out of here?" the Avatar asked, glancing around a corner. 

"No, I was going to leave that to you" Asami held a door open and they started down a stairwell. Korra rolled her eyes. 

"That's a good idea. Let me try" She paused on the next landing and centered herself, preparing for seismic sight. With a deep breath, she stomped on the ground and felt the shape of the world around her. She opened her eyes, a plan ready. But before she could tell Asami what she heard, a loud blaring noise reverberated through the stairwell. 

"Looks like we've been found out. Lead the way" Asami directed. Korra nodded. They descended through the building to the basement, carefully staying out of sight. 

"Let's grab our stuff and I can get us home" she announced. Asami gripped her arm.

"You can get us home?" Her green eyes swam with hope. It was a statement that she had been waiting to hear for over a year, whether she said so or not and Korra knew it. 

"Yeah, turns out I just needed a little sense knocked into me" Korra replied with a self deprecating smile. The engineer's arms wrapped around her in a tight hug. She pulled away with an elated grin. 

"You are incredible" They dived down further into the building until they couldn't go any lower. They came to a door that Korra burst through with metal bending and right away, men came at them. Each received a blast of air that they were hurled against the walls. The couple raced through the room until they came to a room packed with shelves. 

Items of all sorts of shapes and sizes lined the shelves, making the task of finding their belongings in such a small window of time seem daunting. Asami groaned but went look anyway. Instead of helping, Korra turned to face the room, ready to fight off more agents. Asami gave an exclamation of triumph a minute later from deep within the shelves. 

"You got them?"

"Yup. Do the thing" Asami instructed playfully, holding up their two backpacks. Slowly, Korra began to go through the motions, calling on her recently unlocked memory. The door at the other end of the room burst open to show Agents Hernandez and Watkins, red-faced and furious. 

"Korra-"

"I know"

"Please know a little faster then" The Avatar obliged, her arms moving slightly faster and her chanting came out frantically. The agents were almost to them when the world disappeared in a flash of light.


	22. Chapter 22

Korra felt like she was floating. Her body was disentangled from her soul and she wasn't exactly sure where either was. She didn't mind, though. There was freedom to breathe deeply and calmly, something she hadn't really been able to do since waking up that last morning with Asami. The name jolted a splinter of ice into her stomach.

Where was Asami? They had been together when Korra did the ritual. Why weren't they together now? Looking around would have been a good idea if there was anywhere to look. There was only blank space around her.

"Hey! Over here!" Cara's excited voice cut through the blankness. Korra blinked and tried to turn around to find the source of the voice, but didn't find it.

"Do you wish to return?" The Dalai Lama's voice followed seconds later, just as patient and fascinated as when she'd heard him ask the question in person.

"You think I should go back home" Korra frowned at Arnold's voice. What was going on?

"Where am I? Where is she?" She hated that even _she_ was echoing words. Agent Hernandez wasn't there to hurt her anymore, but she still needed Asami, that would never change. 

"When haven't I happily put my life in your hands?" The solution was suddenly obvious. It was one thing to know the phrases and movements, but another thing entirely to have the destination. She had to  _want_ it. That's what each of the voices were saying anyway. She closed her eyes (and went from seeing nothing to  _still_ seeing nothing) to concentrate. She focused on the color of Asami's eyes or the way her kin felt under hers. She remembered the smell of her hair when she fell asleep with her face tucked against it. She wanted  _that_ . 

Korra crashed back into her body almost painfully. She was on the ground and, well, in pain. There was a heavy weight on top of her and the vague sounds of battle around her. She blinked her eyes open and gasped. She'd been here before. She was back at the beginning. Which meant-

"Asami!" She twisted carefully and gently rolled the other woman off of her. Pale skin gave way to green eyes.

"Korra? Are we home?" she asked blearily. The Avatar stroked her cheek and laughed.

"I think I have to go fight someone before we really go home. Are you hurt?" Her hands flew over Asami's body, checking for blood or anything out of place.

"No, I’m fine, just a little sore. Where are we? This isn't how we were dressed" the engineer noted, her eyes darting around the scene. She was right. They were wearing the clothes they'd left home in, but Korra caught sight of the string bracelet she'd bought for Asami around the taller woman's wrist. "Wait, is that Daichi?" Korra whirled around and froze. Daichi was walking away from them, believing he had won, his broad shoulders squared in victory. She could only imagine that he was going to go and try to hurt their friends. She turned back to Asami.

"Are you sure you're okay?"

"Okay enough for a fight"

"Good. Because now we have the element of surprise," she smiled widely, "I love you so don't get hurt, yeah?"

"Only if you do the same because I love you just as much" Asami laughed. Relief settled into Korra's heart. She was half afraid that Asami would decide that what they had was only for the other world, but she should have known better.

"So let's go kick some butt" By the time they stood up and had themselves ready to go, Daichi was descending on Mako, flames at the ready. Korra stomped on the ground, shooting a wall up between them. Daichi landed but kept his flames going. He turned on his heel to see who had stopped him, and his eyes bulged out of his head.

"What?! But it worked! You were  _gone_ !" he shrieked. Korra smirked. 

"And we came back just to kick your ass" Asami took position beside her and Korra allowed herself a moment to absorb everything. She was home. She was in love. And they were about to kick ass together. Life could not be better. Daichi squared his shoulders and set his legs.

"I did it once, I can do it again" he snarled. Korra rolled her own shoulders and launched herself into battle, Asami right behind her.


	23. Chapter 23

When Asami woke up she was bone tired and utterly at peace with everything in the world. Everything was absolutely perfect and no amount of evidence or proof otherwise could ever tell her differently.

The early morning sun streamed through the window, warming the bed even more than her and Korra's combined body heat could. After all of the events of the previous day (year?), they had promised one another that they wouldn't leave the bed for anything, not even food. A rough hand slid up her back, tickling the skin.

"Good morning" Korra whispered, her lips brushing against Asami's shoulder.

"It is, isn't it?" the engineer sighed, leaning back into the other woman. Korra hummed into her ear and wrapped an arm around her waist, her fingers lightly tracing the shiny scar on her stomach.

"So we were gone for a year and dating for about 8 months of that"

"Yes"

"How are we supposed to explain that to anyone?"

"I don't know," Asami shrugged, "but won't it be interesting to try?"

Korra laughed and kissed Asami's neck.

 

 

~~~

 

_And let's face it love,_   
_I'm a wreck without your help_   
_Wreck without your help_   
  
_Because I won't stand a chance in the real world, in the real world_   
_If you're not by my side I won't survive_   
_You are, you are the key so let's run away_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you everyone who stuck with this. This was my first finished multichaptered fic. I know it's not perfect, but I learned a lot doing it and I hope you enjoyed it. 
> 
> I'm tired.


End file.
